Interlude 8:  Bruises of the Heart
by pbw
Summary: Violet is such a lovely color.


**Interlude # 8: Bruises of the Heart**

_May or may not take place in my little AU Earth-617...I haven't truly decided. It can though; I left it deliberately...vague. _

_I did take an inadvertent prompt from Coyote Blues about this set. ;)_

_Also, I must apologize for the formatting issues I seem to be having with __**The Most Awkward.**__ I thought I had fixed everything before I hit publish. This was not the case. Hopefully, this will not be the case with this piece. _

_Again, it is unbeta'ed. So grammatical errors are all me. Sorry._

_I own nothing._

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><p><span>#1: The Nature of Their Ever Changing Relationship<span>

At first Charles did not mind the violet bruises left on his body. They were reminders of the time that he and Erik spent together, tangled in each other's limbs and the sheets. In the morning, Charles would smile at each new bruise he found in the shower. But as time progressed, Charles would become more and more annoyed at each new bruise. And no matter how many times he would bring it up to Erik, another new bruise was found somewhere on his torso.

The only tactic that would get through to Erik, Charles decided, was to deny Erik access to his bed.

"I don't understand," Erik said to him the first night that Charles stood his ground. His face is frowning, trying to comprehend Charles and this new decree. Charles can see, literally _see_ the wheels turning in Erik's mind, but chooses not to delve any further than the surface.

"I love you, I think you know that, but I don't like these bruises I keep finding on my body. It feels...wrong," Charles responds crossing his arms throwing as much of his influence as he can at the tall German.

It's going to take a lot of will power to stand his ground – and all without using his telepathic ability. Erik almost breaks Charles' resolve though. He is looking at Charles as if he is the one who is the telepath and not Charles. Charles begins to fidget and wants badly to bite his bottom lip. Charles tries to keep the worry off his face as Erik stands in front of him, unfathomable and towering over the younger man.

"You're right," Erik finally says and starts to look a little guilty and ashamed of his actions.

"I am?" This was not the answer Charles was expecting and his whole body shows it.

Erik smiles - a genuine smile, almost undoing Charles all over again. "Yes, you are right," here Erik leans forward and so they are forehead to forehead. "I should be more attentive to your needs and desires and stop focusing on my own so much. When you say to stop bruising you, I should stop, shouldn't I? That is how a relationship works, correct?"

Charles can only nod, his heart squeezing strangely in his chest. He did not expect Erik to completely understand what he said – after all, Erik's formative years were spent under a madman experimenting on him. There was no good stabilizing force in Erik's life after his parents died, only blind rage and a thirst for revenge.

Erik kisses Charles very, very chastely and leans back - looking at him. Silence is thick in the air as Erik continues to scrutinize him gently. Charles can only look back at him, all words have failed him, a first really.

"Good night, Love," Erik says softly and gives him another spot press of the lips. He turns around, back straight thinking about what Charles said.

"Good night, Erik," Charles responds just as softly and watches him as Erik walks back to his room.

xxx

It is a few days later (which is almost tortuous to Charles) when Erik approaches him near the lake. The others are lounging around the pool enjoying the time off and the sun.

"Charles," Erik says smoothly, his hands gently slip around his waist. Charles smiles and leans into the taller man. Erik slides a hand through Charles' hair reverently. While it has been just as tortuous to Erik as it has been to Charles, Erik forces himself to stay away from the telepath and to teach himself some _control._

"Erik," is all the telepath says. Erik turns him around and presses him against the lake house wall. He is gentle, ever so gentle with his telepath.

#2: Violent Consequences Begets Violet Flowers

Right after averting World War III, Charles is told that he is paralyzed. Erik has left him. Raven has left him – well, technically, Charles sent Raven with Erik. It was her wish after all. Hank tells Charles that after the Cuban beach incident that he fell into a deep, deep coma. Concern has etched itself onto the faces of Hank, Alex and Sean and when Charles finally wakes up he feels the overwhelming relief from the young men.

He is in his room in Westchester, surrounded by flowers, cards and other tokens of well wishers. It is the violets though, that catches his eye – his mother's favorite (_Delicate love, needs a delicate flower, Charles)_. They are the color of bruises (_deep, deep bruises left on too pale skin)_.

He cannot stand to look at them and promptly banishes them from his room.

No one asks him why. They all seem to know that it could only come from one person.

#3: Billowy Capes Never Look Good on Anyone

When Charles next sees Erik after the horrible beach incident (Charles refuses to call it anything else horrific – like life changing accident or anything of the sort), the first thing he notices is the cape. Not Shaw's fucking helmet, though he does notice it, even if a bit dimly, but the cape.

The stupid, ridiculous purple and red cape.

_And he made fun of all my vests and tweed, _Charles thought bitterly trying to school his mind and expression.

It doesn't work, of course.

"You look ridiculous," is what Charles says instead, lips pursed and hands folded in his lap. Charles is still too raw, too angry, too disappointed in himself and Erik (_No, Magneto_) to be anything _but_ bitter.

The look on Magneto's face was almost priceless.

Almost.

"Well, at least it's not tweed," Magneto retorts back. He moves towards his old friend (_lover_). "Why haven't you stood to greet me?" Magneto winces a little. He did not mean to sound so…condescending. He tries again, softer and hopefully gentler. "Have you nothing else to say to an old friend?" He doesn't understand why Charles isn't reading him properly when he remembers the damn helmet on his head. Magneto, however, makes no move to take it off.

"Because, I fucking can't," Charles is way past being civil to Magneto. He wheels himself from behind the table and towards the man in the billowing cape. They have decided to meet on neutral ground - a secluded park - because Magneto requested Charles' presence. _What is this, some sort of damn super-villain photo shoot?_ Charles is more than a little satisfied with Magneto's expression when he realizes what the bullet has done to him.

"Oh, god," he says and feels his knees buckling. At the last minute though, he commands his legs to be strong and Magneto remains upright…barely.

Charles smiles a bit cruelly and says, "No, not God, as you may think." He levels Magneto with a stare. "What do you need?"

Magneto can only stare at Charles, eyes blinded with guilt and pain. A strong wind blows, ruffling his cape in the breeze.

#4: Rage and Serenity

Red stands for rage.

Blue stands for serenity.

And violet stands for love.

Magneto does not miss this color's meaning. He wears it for his mother. He wears it for _Charles._ He does not wear it for himself.

Charles always did tell him that he wore his heart on his sleeve.

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><p><em>Short and angsty. Plus, this has been on the back burner since I accidentally started <strong>The Most Awkward.<strong>_

_Reviews are crispy. Gentle criticisms are crispy and tender. _


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